Musings of an Avid Reader

Another review already! I must be on a roll… or maybe I’m just trying to knock out the remaining titles on the review list before I start my new job in August. Could be, could be. Anyway, this translates into more reading fun for you, dear readers. Incidentally, you could add some reading fun for me by leaving a comment below. Tell me if you found a review helpful, if your opinion differs from mine and why, or if you have any books you’d like me to take a look at. You know, that kind of thing. Variety is the spice of life.

Which brings me to today’s book, which, as the title reveals, is a cookbook with recipes for vegan breakfasts. Astute readers will have noticed that the authors are German; in fact, Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer run an enormously successful food blog, Eat This! and have co-authored several books, two of which (including this one) have been translated into English.

I love breakfast. I am also notoriously unawake in the morning, so I greatly appreciate people writing down instructions to make tasty dishes with, so that I don’t have to crank up the still woozy brain cells too early just to come up with new smoothie ideas myself. Apart from the fact that any cover photo featuring a huge stack of syrup-drizzled pancakes is extremely appealing to me, I also quickly discovered several intriguing recipe ideas inside the book. Of course, that is not how things begin, because it never is, is it.

There is a lovely table of contents all the way up front to help you get your snoozy self geared up for your first meal of the day. Also helpful is the plethora of gorgeous photographs, and there are plenty. ‘A Perfect Start to the Day’ offers some ideas how to make the best of your morning, followed by some foods that will help you with that (no recipes yet). Next up are two excursions into everyone’s favorite brekkie drinks, coffee and tea. You’ll learn how to choose great tea (or coffee), how to store it, prepare it, and generally get the most bang for your buck. Personally, I disagree with Jörg on cold brew; I find it overrated and overpriced, be it store-bought or home-made. But I used the term ‘personally’ on purpose; you may love your cold brew for a variety of reasons. It is said to be easier on the stomach. The coffee and tea sections are the only ones that mention kitchen tools, and that’s a bit sad, because it requires me to place the usual caveat here: be sure to read all recipes and instructions before beginning. Some require a blender and/or a juicer, and unfortunately, no allowance is made for those who do not own either (but fear not, I do have a couple of tips for you… read on). Before moving on to the recipe section, you’ll find a page on Tips and Tricks, which is not particularly abundant, but does explain in a side bar why Nadine and Jörg have opted to leave out nutritional information.

The recipe section starts with easy smoothies, juices, and other refreshing drinks. We have tried the ‘Tropical Energy with Grapefruit and Coconut’, the ‘Super Antioxidant Shake with Blueberries and Goji Berries”, the ‘Pear Oat Shake’, and the ‘Strawberry Chia Smoothie’. The juice was a tad on that tart side for my better half, be sure to adjust the sweetener to your personal taste and to not use a very large lemon. I don’t have a juicer, so I used a simple hand juicer/fruit squeezer and mixed everything together afterwards. If you like pulp, leave it in! If you don’t, strain through a sieve or some cheesecloth or a nutmilk bag. For the blueberry shake, I tossed all the ingredients in the blender because I find the taste of goji berries somewhat unfortunate otherwise. I did the same for chia smoothie since I hate waiting for breakfast. The method worked well for both. The pear oat shake was sadly overpowered by the ground cardamom. One entire teaspoon is a bit much, so tone it down a bit, unless you’re a cardamom freak. If like me you enjoy beets, the ‘Beets and Berries’ smoothie is tasty and easy.

Next up are ideas for breakfast to go, containing mostly sandwiches, muffins, and similar handhelds, but also an interesting recipe for two varieties of ‘Wake-Up Popsicles’ which I might test before the review copy goes bye-bye. We did try the ‘Overnight Buckwheat Porridge’ and enjoyed it. You’ll also find an ‘”Egg-Salad” Sandwich’ and a ‘Swedish Bagel’ among the wonderfully unusual ideas, most of which would also make great additions to a lunchbox.

From here, we wander into bowl territory. Whether you prefer a sweet or a savory breakfast, you are sure to find something here. The ‘Quinoa Porridge’ was delicious, even if it didn’t exactly look like the photo. The ‘Miso Oatmeal’ sounds intriguing, but I usually lean towards the fruitier side early in the morning, so I dig the variations of porridge and smoothie bowls, especially. There is even a chocolate porridge for those soul food emergencies.

Following this, we finally arrive at the delicious ‘Poppy Seed Pancakes’ from the cover. You prefer omelets? Waffles? Crepes? A good scramble? This section has you covered! If your morning doesn’t get off the ground without a lot of coffee and something sticky-sweet, you’ll enjoy the treats from ‘The Sweeter Side of Mornings’, like donuts, cupcakes, or carrot cake (yes, please!). For those leisurely weekend brunches, check out ‘Weekend Brunch’ where you can find delicacies like ‘Earl Gray’s Poached Pears’ next to brunch staples like frittata and a full English breakfast.

Closing this merry collection of recipes are hot drinks. I am especially intrigued by the Kamilli Vanilli, which is based on chamomile tea. This will have to make an appearance of a morning soon, I think! For you cold brew fans, there are instructions on how to get your cold brew base on, as well.

My special appreciation, however, must go to the very last section, pantry staples. Many German ex-pats bemoan the fact that our American brethren are hopelessly lost when it comes to good (or even decent) bread. If you’ve ever wondered what all the moaning is about, you get the chance to make German-style bread and rolls at home now! Rounding out the pantry section are some sweet and savory spreads, a quick granola, a couple of plant-based milks, and some ideas for plant-based breakfast ‘meats.’

Most recipes make two servings, unless otherwise indicated. These servings are smaller (read: more reasonable) than some other cookbooks’ offerings, so either plan in a snack for later in the morning or opt not to share. Every single recipe comes with a glorious, mouthwatering photograph. I must strongly reiterate the fact that you should read the recipe you’re planning to make ahead of time, because a few require more time than others. Obviously, it will take longer to make a cake than a scramble or be quicker to fix a smoothie bowl than a full English brekkie.

Would I get this? Erm, yes! In yesterday’s review, the author advised us to personalize as needed, and even in my extensive collection there are only a tiny handful of cookbooks I trust to deliver 100% every time, no matter what I opt to make. I love the variety offered in the “Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book” and can see myself going back to it frequently.

“The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book” is published by The Experiment, which is funny because I did not realize that until I had posted yesterday’s post. I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own, unless otherwise stated.